Tag Archives: artwork

Three Amazing Book Trailers for Three Astonishing Children’s Books [Videos]

Posted in Art, Book Reviews, Books, Children's Literature, Illustration, Illustrator by

I’ve loved children’s literature far past the point of being a child, but, as C.S. Lewis, advises, I don’t feel apologetic for it. In his essay, “On Stories,” he cs-lewiswrites…

“It is usual to speak in a playfully apologetic tone about one’s adult enjoyment of what are called ‘children’s books’. I think the convention a silly one. No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty—except, of course, books of information. The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all. A mature palate will probably not much care for creme de menthe: but it ought still to enjoy bread and butter and honey.

That said, I’ve recently immersed myself into two children’s lit series, The Wildwood Chronicles, and The Mysterious Benedict Society books. In taking notes for upcoming reviews of the books, I saw the following book trailers and had to share them.

Book trailers are advertisements for the books… a literary take on the movie trailer. So, I didn’t preface the book trailer with an explanation of the book—that’s what the trailer is for.

Wildwood

What astonished me about the Wildwood book trailer is Carson Ellis’s illustrative work. I deeply admire her illustrative work and, in this series, I marvel as much over her illustrations as I do over Colin Meloy’s writing (which leaves me breathless).

Here’s a look at the book trailer for one of my favorite reads of the past few years.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

After reading the brilliant Wildwood and its sequel, Under Wildwood (which is lovely but has a cliffhanger of an ending that made me grit my teeth), I was in search of another series I could love. Colin Meloy’s writing raised the bar ridiculously high, though.

Bookshop clerk: Are you looking for something specific, ma’am?

Me:I just finished reading the most amazing book… And you know, when you’ve finished an extraordinary book and you just fell in love with it so deeply that you think you’re spoiled for other books forever? Yet, you think, ‘I want that again.’ I want to feel that way about a book again. You hope another book can make you feel that way again…

Bookshop clerk: Oh, yes. I know exactly how that feels. What book did you read?

Me: Wildwood.

Bookshop clerk: (sighing) Ohhhh, that book is a work of art. That book IS art. (long pause) I don’t know what else to recommend after that…. (a long, long pause) Perhaps… Some people who read Wildwood also read The Mysterious Benedict Society. It’s not Wildwood at all. Nothing related. But the writing is very, very good. Maybe try it?

And so, I did. I’m still reading the series, but the first one just captured my attention and imagination. I immediately loved the quirkiness and the blend of joy and longing in the book. The bookshop girl was right—the writing is just captivating.

I also loved the illustrations in the first novel, which were Carson Ellis’s. The remaining books have a different illustrator, but they are also beautiful. Here’s the trailer for a book in the series.

The Series of Unfortunate Events

Unlike the descriptive beauty of the other two books on this list, Lemony Snicket‘s The Series of Unfortunate Events is dark, depressing and, if you’re the right sort of reader, hilarious.

People either love him or hate him. There’s no middle ground. Either you’re the type of person who finds dark humor to be, well, humorous, or you find the books uncomfortable and nasty. In our household, two of us find the series to be absolutely hilariously tragic (or tragically hilarious?), and two others find the whole series to truly be an unfortunate series.

The trailer, Scream and Run Away, is not illustrative like the previous trailers on this list, but musical instead. Lemony writes music, and, as you’d imagine, dark music.

I find the song to be a clever book trailer and also a scream. (It’s all right if you don’t.)

Here’s Lemony’s book trailer.

Have you seen any unusual, fun, or beautiful children’s book trailers lately? Do mention them in the comments. I’d love to check them out.

What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Say [Illustrated Slide Show]

Posted in Art, Content, Creative Inspiration, Creativity, Drawing, Drawings, Handwritten Typography, Illustrator, Marketing, MarketingProfs by

Stuck on what to write about for your company blog or website? Check out these content-creating tips from Ann Handley of MarketingProfs. The visual story of a frustrated writer aided by her faithful pets (and talking office supplies) will help you conquer your writer’s block and get creative.

You Know You’re a Marketer If… You Love Hashtags a Liiiiiittle Too Much [Drawing]

When I was a child, I called this funny little symbol # a “pound sign.” It’s what you’d hit on a phone to move along to the next step (of 34,567) in an automated voice menu.

But now, thanks to social media, I think of that sign as a hashtag, and I use it all the time on Instagram and Twitter. The hashtag marks the conversation so folks can find it when they search for the topic. Sometimes, hashtags are just a joke, too, a funny little add-on to Twitter or Instagram (but usually, that happens between friends).

Unfortunately, you can’t use hashtags everywhere. Or I totally would. #wantingahashtagworld (See what I did there?)

SnarketingProfs-hashtag

‘Ghosts That We Knew’ by Mumford & Sons [Doodle]

Posted in Art, Creativity, Doodle, Drawing, Illustration, Music by

One of my favorite groups is Mumford & Sons, an English folk band. Marcus Mumford’s vocals, the lyricism of the music… the whole incredibly rich, textured beauty of their sound has just won my heart over.

While listening  to “Ghosts That We Knew” from their “Babel” album, I was practicing my handwritten typography… which resulted in the little artwork below.

MumfordandSons-quote-doodle

If you have a little bit of time to hear this song, I’ve placed it here for your viewing and listening pleasure. Enjoy!


15 Buzzwords You Need to Stop Using [Illustrated Slide Show]

Posted in Art, Creativity, Doodle, Drawing, Drawings, Illustration, Illustrator, MarketingProfs, Work Life, Writing by

Recently, MarketingProfs said to its Facebook group, “Let’s talk buzzwords—what marketing buzzword is your *least* favorite?”

The answers that came in were clever and fun. My imagination glommed onto some of the phrases. So, I reached for my Sharpies, Ciao pens, and colored pencils, then drew up the following slide show.

In drawing the slide show, I approached it as a picture book. Doing so lets my imagination fly and approach everything with a playful spirit. An octopus, a snake in roller skates, smiling box, and a thought bubble in a saddle shoes can then emerge. For example, the words “thought leadership” can be difficult to draw…. How on earth do you draw a thought?… but the drawing ended up being one of my favorites in the slide show. (I drew a thought bubble and gave him a swell mustache, a striped shirt, bright-green pants, and blue-and-white saddle shoes. )

Enjoy the following slide show, “15 Buzzwords to Stop Using.”

Event: Crowdsourced from a MarketingProfs Facebook Wall question
Illustrated by: Veronica Maria Jarski
Production notes: The slide show reached more than 20,000 views in fewer than two days. It became a “Hot on Twitter” presentation, “Most Downloaded” presentation, and “Top Presentation of the Day.”

Life x 6: ‘You Have HOW Many Children?’ [Illustration]

Posted in Art, Creativity, Illustration, Illustrator, Life x 6 by

I am the mother of four children (plus our little Max in heaven). Now, among my friends, I don’t stand out for having four kids. Some friends have fewer kids; others have more. We all know each other’s story.

However, when my family heads out to the park, store, or sporting event, my husband and I often get comments from strangers about how many children we have. The comments range from the shocked (“I’d go nuts if I had four children!”) to the sweet (“Oh, you must have so much fun!”).

So, for fun, I’ve been sketching little scenes about those interactions as well as  just scenes from life as a six-member family. (The drawings are somewhat based on what we look like.)

Here’s the first sketch from my series, “Life x 6.”

Lifex6-debut-by-Veronica-Maria-Jarski

You may borrow the image for non-profit purposes, but please link back to me.

The Lighter Side of Marketing: 24 Cartoons to Make You LOL [Illustrated Slide Show]

Posted in Art, Creativity, Drawings, Illustration, Illustrator, MarketingProfs by

In July 2012, MarketingProfs marketing manager Corey O’Loughlin told me about her idea to have tongue-in-cheek visuals—somewhat like those snarky e-cards you see all over the Internet—for the MarketingProfs Facebook Page. She liked my work on the illustrated slide shows, so she asked me to give it a go.

And so I did. The first SnarketingProfs drawing was published on July 9, 2012. 1

Then I kept drawing. So, every Monday morning, a new SnarketingProfs card is published on the MarketingProfs Facebook Wall. It’s a cheery way to start the week, and anything to make Mondays a little sunnier is good, right?

So, as we begin 2013, I thought it’d be fun to share my favorite 24 SnarketingProfs cards of 2012 in one slide show. The slide show is a celebration of the fun, lighter side of marketing—the side that has to juggle crazy expectations, deal with folks who monopolize your time with MLM proposals (I’m talking to you, oh, Amway neighbor), and explaining ROI to social-media haters. So, here you go! Enjoy a light-hearted look at the world of marketing…